Road Traffic Accidents

When thinking about risks posed during travel overseas, it is often tempting to think about high profile incidents such as terrorist attacks, hijackings or tsunamis for example. In reality, however, the risks facing an average traveller are often quite different and frequently overlooked.

The biggest risk most travellers will face will be illness or car accident. The latter can be a notorious killer but because incidents tend not to make the international news, it is easy to forget how serious a risk car accidents can be. This is particularly the case in countries with insufficient hospital facilities, poorly-maintained infrastructure and/or bad driving practices. The following countries are deemed to have the highest road accident fatality rates where travellers need to be especially careful when driving:

While Iraq, Libya and Nigeria might not be typical tourist destinations, millions of people visit Oman, South Africa, Thailand and the Dominican Republic each year.

The following countries are also deemed to have a very high road accident fatality rate. Again, several might not be at the top of your ideal holiday destination bucket list, but several are visited on a regular basis, sometimes for tourism but often for business.